Rant: TSA Precheck Setup at DL DFW Gates
 

Just need to rant...

DFW needs to do something about the fuster-cluck that is the Pre-Check security line by the DL gates.

For those who have never experienced this: Both Pre-Check and STE go through the same line, and there is also a regular line next to that. There is a single TSA agent checking IDs for both lines, and she alternates checking people in both lines. There are two security lines past her: one Pre-Check and one regular. The upshot is those eligible for Pre-Check get stuck in a long line, and there is a completely staffed Pre-Check security line that is empty most of the time. Those who could be using it are stuck waiting to get IDs checked. Rather than getting as many people through security as fast as possible, the set-up needlessly causes long lines before the ID check gate.

The TSA people say it's the airport that has set it up this way. The airport says it's the TSA. The obvious solution is to send everyone but Pre-Check and STE to the other checkpoint, a few steps away, and have the alternating lines be Pre-Check and other STE. This would allow a steady stream into the Pre-Check scanner rather than having those people sit idle while the long line forms.

Apparently the other Pre-Check lines at DFW work normally. It's only the DL line that is set up this way.

Why????

I just had my experience with that too. It almost negates the purpose of having Precheck there at all. :td:

Not even almost. It does. It would make more sense to just get rid of Pre-Check there. The line would move twice as fast.

Are you talking about the checkpoint to the left of DL's counters? More often than not I am one of 2-3 people in that line. I've never been more than 5 people deep there.

Yes. Lately, it's been ridiculously backed up. Today was the worst. It took fifteen/twenty minutes to get to the ID checkpoint. There were seventy people on the UG list for my flight, so everyone was Pre-Check or SP, and non-SP were in the other line.

LGA operates literally the exact same way and it is terrible. If they aren't fixing it at LGA where they are a legit player, presumably hold some weight, and have their own terminals - it ain't getting fixed at DFW

When was the last time you have been to LGA? They now have a separate pre-check and SP line in terminal D.

Meaning 2 lines...one for pre-check & one for SP? If true, this is phenomenal news… Haven't been to LGA in a few weeks as I've been travelling internationally

I must have great timing, or I am not flying to ATL. :) Perhaps the desk agents are referring people to that line now. They almost always directed me to the right and I'd go left anyway.

Yes, I flew out of LGA on 6/27 and they had two seperate lines. They still have the employee checking boarding passes out front. If you have the pre-check indicator on your boarding pass, you go to the right. If you are SP and no pre-check, you go to the left and wait.

They still have one TSA agent checking IDs for both lines, but the pre-check people seemed to be going through a little faster.

For a while MSP has this setup, which resulted in long waits for PreCheck. Then they installed a second document checker who looks/listens for the three beeps and then directs PreCheck people through a gate and directly to the PreCheck belt. SkyPriority without PreCheck people continue in the line to the original document checker who alternates between the regular (which wasn't always at this checkpoint) and SkyPriority people, so that they have pretty long waits. When their waits get really long, it backs up and PreCheck people can't get to the first document checker and the empty PreCheck lane.

It's better than before but still not good. However, it helps that the DL employee SkyPriority line dragon is good and strict about access. It would be wonderful if the kettles would be forced to use a different checkpoint. In fact, the DL FO security line could be moved here in place of the regular line if they want more throughput than just SkyPriority and PreCheck at this checkpoint, but that would also require moving the FO check in counters and kiosks to the right side of the largely un-used special services counters. (That's a big piece of underutilized real estate in a prime location at MSP. It's better located than SkyPriority--which is at the very center of the terminal--because it's closer to the skyway from the parking garage. PMNW had it right!)

On a Thursday afternoon/evening, there are flights just about every hour. The UG lists are each 70+, so the SP and PC lines can get pretty crowded. The rent-a-cops helping with the lines were telling people to go to the other side, there was a much shorter line. But the SP have to feel elite, so they stay in the line even if they aren't PC and the others have to feel they are important as the STE, so they stay in the line, and there is no PC on the other side, so if you weren't planning to take stuff out of your suitcase, you wait.

Sometimes it doesn't get as backed up, but it always slows down the PC line. Often, because there isn't much space after the ID check, they will stop checking IDs so the line can clear. If you are PC, you are stuck until that line clears, even though the PC line is empty and the person checking IDs is just sitting there. They should at least ask for those where are PC to come to the front of the line at that point. It would keep things moving and be a better use of employees' time than just sitting there.

The rent-a-cop realizes it's a fuster-cluck set-up, but, of course, nobody in charge asks the front line employee for input. He was the one that pointed out it was only that way in Terminal E.

Last time I was through MSP the dragon basically yelled at my father and I on our way to FAI because we weren't SkyPriority (traveling NRSA) despite the fact that we had PreCheck clearly printed on our seat requests (both have GE, and we still went through). I can't stand combining PreCheck and SkyPriority lines before the ID check for this reason (and it's not just NRSAs, it could be FOs, or even people without DL/ST status, but having GE). I've had countless incidents where I've been going through with my seat request with PreCheck indicated and I've been told that I must be SP by some rep (DL or contracted) and I have to explain that PreCheck is not a DL program and that I am entitled to the line. It has gotten better recently from my experience, but it still happens. Another reason I'm glad ATL has its current set-up.

The other problem with combining SP and PreCheck lines before the ID check is the major slow-down caused by the number of SP pax. Whenever there's a separate ID check line for PreCheck, I've never waited more than 2 minutes.

?

I was through LGA as recently 7/3 and it was still the combined Pre/SP setup that it has been for a while...The BP checker allows either SP or Pre into the mini-snake on the right, and they proceed to the TDC combined. Quite annoying if you have Pre as the actual screening lane is always empty.

I fly through Dallas fairly regularly and I never found especially long lines at DFW. While PreCheck could be run more efficiently with a different setup, I haven't found the current setup to be that bad. It certainly is not a fuster-cluck. :-)